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Tide-induced fine sediment resuspension in the well-mixed Hangzhou Bay, East China Sea, China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2011

John Z. Shi*
Affiliation:
Department of Harbour and Coastal Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1954 Hua Shan Road, Shanghai 200030, China Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Hangzhou Bay is a typical funnel-shaped high turbid estuary along a mesotidal coast of the East China Sea. In this paper, field studies are undertaken in an attempt to better understand tide-induced fine sediment transport processes in the Bay. Field observations were made mainly of current velocities (speeds and directions) and suspended sediment concentrations at six different relative depths and two stations in September 1992. Results show that (1) high near-bed suspended sediment concentrations varied from 1·81 to 4·00 kg m−3 during the spring tide and from 1·04 to 8·00 kg m−3 during the neap tide; (2) tide-induced near-bed fine sediment resuspension processes are indicated by several periodic suspended sediment concentration peaks; and (3) a hysteresis effect, or suspension-lag, occurs in suspended sediment concentration and resuspension events. Tide-induced fine sediment processes are mainly responsible for very high concentration suspensions of fine sediments in Hangzhou Bay. The occurrence of the suspension-lag phenomenon is likely to be common in other similar muddy tidal environments.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 2011

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